Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Terry reviews Across The Great Sparkling Water by Zoe Saadie

Terry chose to read and review Across The Great Sparkling Water by Zoe Saadie

5 out of 5 stars

This is the second in the Peacemaker series, a fictional account based on fact, about how the Great League of the Iroquois was formed. More than a few scholars agree that the latter day USA constitution was influenced by this Great Law of Peace. I’ll just mention that it’s important to read the first in this series, Two Rivers, first. It’s a while since I read the first one so I had to recap, after which the two stories flowed together.

So readable just as an adventure story on its own, Across the Great Sparkling Water (the body of water later to be known as Lake Ontario) is fascinating in that it tells so much about the customs of the time, and the day to day living – and yes, yes, it made me want to go back in time and live amongst them, as all good historical fiction should do. A time and place when life was lived according to the rules of nature only, but with civilised regimes set in place for the efficient survival of communities.

The Great Peacemaker, named Two Rivers, is marvellously multi-faceted, single-minded in his mission to bring about ruling councils and end the warring between the nations, yet so human, too; unlike others of Zoe Saadia’s books that I’ve read, this one contains an element of love and passion of the more mature variety which is very convincing, as Two Rivers fights his feelings for a woman, concerned that it will distract him from his cause. Okay, I admit it; I ended up fancying him myself!

There are other terrific characters in this story: Tekeni, from the first book, a young man who accompanies Two Rivers on his journey; Onheda, a fierce and independent young woman trying to return from a kind captivity to her own people; Hionhwatha, the strong, proud, displaced leader of the Onondaga people, and Jikonsahseh, a wise old woman.

This is an excellent series, so well written and easy to read. I can’t recommend it too highly, and I am just off to Amazon to buy the next one!